Silicon-containing electrical steels are low carbon (from about 0.1% or less) specialty steels typically containing from about 0.5% to about 3.5% silicon. These steels include grain oriented and non-oriented steels. Hot processing of silicon-containing electrical steels can result in the formation of oxides on the surface of the steel strip. These oxides are primarily comprised of iron, silicon, and other associated metals, which must be removed prior to cold reduction and other subsequent processing. Traditionally, these oxides have been removed by an initial mechanical treatment such as shot blasting, which is followed by a chemical treatment such as pickling with nitric acid, or nitric acid in combination with hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid.
Due to the costs of using hydrofluoric acid there is a desire for a method of pickling silicon steels that reduces the amount of the acid used.